Neon Genesis Evangelion: After Third Impact
by Keizer Xilian
Summary: In the aftermath of Third Impact, humanity is gone and it seems only Shinji and Asuka remain. As they overlook the ocean, Shinji confesses his feelings and they witness a new chapter in the planet's evolution.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at a romance type story and my first ever Evangelion fanfic so I cant guarantee anything about this. I hope that you all enjoy the story though, and I will welcome any feedback (preferrably constructive criticism if possible)that can be given.

* * *

A soft breeze ruffled Shinji's hair as he looked out upon the glistening amber ocean, an after effect of the insanity he had just witnessed. Everything was different now…within a matter of minutes, the entire world had changed completely. Eva was gone; his friends were gone; everybody was gone, all of them a part of the amber ocean that stretched across the horizon before him.

Everyone was gone, everyone but Asuka and himself. Shinji looked over at Asuka's unconscious body, still inside the pilot suit that she wore when she piloted the now destroyed Eva unit 002. _Why, Asuka…why did they have to go?_ Shinji leaned over the beautiful half-German half-Japanese girl, his eyes conveying many different emotions. Loneliness, happiness, desire, anger, sadness, hate…

Before he realized what was happening Asuka struck him with a strong slap on his cheek. He stumbled back in surprise, his hands releasing her neck from their grip as he landed in the sand on his rear. Asuka's breathing was hoarse for a short time, but she regained her composure quickly, as she always did.

"What the hell were you trying to do Shinji?" she asked, her face holding that familiar look of anger that Shinji had seen from her so many times before.

Shinji's expression changed when he heard her voice again. A warm smile crossed his face as he turned to face the amber ocean yet again.

"It's good to hear your voice, Asuka."

It was no surprise to him when he heard Asuka let out a shocked "what?" He even laughed a little when she said it, knowing that she couldn't possibly believe what she was hearing, especially with the way they used to fight all the time.

"I'm just…I'm just glad that you're alive."

"Glad I'm alive! YOU WERE TRYING TO STRANGLE ME YOU LITTLE ASS!"

Shinji chuckled again, continuing to stare out over the ocean.

"Hey, Shinji are you listening to me?"

Shinji sat in silence, lost in contemplation over everything that was happening now. The world itself was changing, right before his eyes. Every living creature had returned to the basic compounds of existence. Every animal, every insect, every human…they were all part of this new primordial soup that stretched across the planet…all of them with the exception of Asuka and himself of course.

The silence continued to stretch on, and Asuka decided to sit next to Shinji. He turned his head slightly to look at her. She was hugging her knees as she sat, her long hair flowing down over her arms, partially hiding her face as she looked over the glistening, golden sea. The headpieces that helped establish a mental link with the Evangelion were still in her hair, but she removed them, tossing them to the ground in front of her.

"I guess I won't really be needing those anymore," she said with a quiet sigh.

Shinji moved a little closer to her, turning to look her in the eyes. Asuka faced him as well, a look of slight confusion upon her face. "Shinji, what are you looking at?" she asked.

Shinji continued to stare into Asuka's eyes as another small smile crossed his face. "Asuka, don't ever change, not for anyone."

Asuka leaned back a little, placing her hands in the sand. A hint of rosy red began appearing on her cheeks. "Shinji…"

"Don't change, not for anyone, ever. Asuka, you don't need to try and be someone different. People will like you for who you are…I just recently learned that for myself."

"But Shinji, there's nobody left. Everyone is gone, except for the two of us. Ahh, mein Gott, how I am going to survive living with only you for the rest of my life I don't know."

"That's just it, they aren't actually gone."

Asuka looked at Shinji once more, confused. What could he have been talking about? Everyone in the world was turned into this sea of glistening amber that stretched across the horizon before them.

"Can't you feel it Asuka? Their conscious, it still exists. Rei, Misato, my father, everyone. Their consciousness still exists collectively within the seas."

Asuka looked out towards the ocean again, wondering just what he was talking about. Feeling another person's consciousness? That was impossible. Such things, they just couldn't happen. "Shinji, that's impossible. No one could…"

Asuka paused, staring into the horizon with eyes full of surprise. She could feel it…the consciousness of her friends in the back of her mind, just like Shinji was saying. Not only that, but everyone in the world.

"You can feel it now," Shinji said. He was looking out at the ocean once more.

"Shinji…how did you know? How were you able too…how are we able to feel their conscious?"

"…Maybe it's because we're the only ones left with physical form…"

The two of them looked out to the ocean again, listening to the waves flow quietly and the breeze rustle the few trees that still stood in that area. As they sat there, the silence stretched on. Shinji could see in her eyes that Asuka was uncomfortable with silence like this. Again he smiled, thinking about how amazing it was that they could be so different but so similar at the same time.

"Asuka," he started, turning slightly towards her as he spoke.

"Yeah, Shinji?"

"Well…there's something that I've wanted to tell you…something I've wanted to say for a long time."

Asuka turned to face him, the same hint of rosy red beginning to fill her cheeks once more.

"Asuka…I…I love you…"

Asuka could feel her face becoming a bright red when he said those words. Shinji turned to face her, a light smile on his face. It was clear that Asuka was once again taken by surprise. Shinji chuckled a little as he thought about how he managed to shock her three times in three completely different ways within a matter of minutes. He turned to face the ocean once more.

"Shinji," Asuka began after another, shorter pause. "Do you…is that…is that really how you feel?"

Shinji nodded. "It is. I've never really had the courage to admit it until now…but I've loved you for a long time."

Shinji turned to her, eyes closed and smiled to her once again. As he was about to turn back to look towards the ocean again, he felt Asuka's hand on his face, a look of surprise crossing his face this time as she leaned in and placed a loving kiss upon his lips.

"Shinji…" she began with a smile. "Ich liebe dich auch. Do you know what that means?"

Shinji shook his head.

"It's German. It means 'I love you too'."

Shinji blushed a little himself when she said this and she leaned in to kiss him once more. They then sat on that beach, watching the sunset as Asuka's head rested against Shinji's shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

Well I'm glad to say that it seems my story is being enjoyed by everyone that has read it so far, so here's chapter 2. I hope that it's up to par with the first chapter and that you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

Of the two chosen children that sat before the primordial expanse, Asuka was the first to awaken. Apparently, she and Shinji had fallen asleep not long after they had finally settled how they felt. She leaned up, half seated, supporting herself with her elbows and forearms against the sand. Night had already fallen and the moon cast a strange and eerie glow upon the glistening amber liquid. 

Asuka turned to look at Shinji. He was still asleep, his hair covered in sand, his shirt and pants dusty with it as well. Knowing what a neat freak he was, she couldn't help but giggle a little at the way he looked right now. "Schmierfink," she said with a giggle, realizing at the same time that her hair would certainly be much dirtier.

With a sigh, she stood up and brushed herself off, careful not to get too much more sand on Shinji. After she had finally gotten most of it out of her hair and off of her suit she kneeled down next to Shinji and began to gently brush some of the sand out of his hair as well. A soft smile crossed her face as she did this, and she felt a little embarrassed at the fact that her personality had essentially changed completely within just this one day. Whereas she used to pick on and tease Shinji, now she found herself leaning next to him as he slept, running her hands through his hair and wishing she could find some new clothes to get into; wishing she could feel his pretty dark brown hair in her fingers, sand and all.

Almost instinctively she began to lower herself more to his level. While she continued to brush the sand out of his hair, he shifted positions in his sleep, his lips parting ever so slightly. He looked so inviting to her as he lay there, so handsome and peaceful. She could feel the desire welling up inside of her, the need to be with him always…the need for him to be there for her, to love her in the same way that he had said he did always. These feelings ran through her mind and her body as she looked down upon him and she began to lean down towards him, her lips pursing his softly as he slept.

It was not hard for Asuka to realize that he had awakened when she kissed him; she had felt his lips return the same soft kiss she had placed upon him. Asuka sat back up slightly, still looking down at him with a smile, the pale moonlight reflecting in her eyes of deep azure. He looked so beautiful in that moonlight, so very desirable. She noticed that the moonlight reflected beautifully in his eyes too and she found herself staring into them, smiling. All around her the world was changing, everyone gone, and yet she was happier now then she had ever been before…even her crush on Kaji was incomparable to what she felt now.

"Asuka…"

Asuka sat back, blushing. She hadn't even realized Shinji started speaking. Shinji simply laughed, however, and sat up himself.

"It's still not morning," Shinji said.

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed, what with the moon out and all," Asuka said with a laugh.

Shinji laughed also, looking back out over the amber sea once more. They both sat there again for a short while, looking at the strange ripples of silver and gold the moonlight made in the ocean. After a few minutes of silence both of them could hear their stomachs growling and they laughed again.

"I guess we'd better head back to what's left of the city to see what there is huh?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah. Hopefully I can find some clothes and get out of this damned suit too."

Shinji smiled and nodded, rising to his feet. When she started to get up she noticed Shinji's lowered hand. Blushing yet again she took his hand and let him help her to her feet.

"My, quite the gentleman, aren't we?"

The two of them shared another laugh as they made their way back to the remains of Tokyo 3. They were lucky, the city had been raised after the mass produced Evangelions were destroyed, but even if it were lowered it wouldn't have been saved when Rei and Adam caused the Third Impact. _At least a good portion of it is still intact._

Shinji and Asuka made their way into the remains of the city. Luck was on their side once more, one portion of the city that remained was the shopping district and most of the restaurants were still in good condition and the entire area had power. After wandering through the streets to see what shops were still mostly intact, the two of them finally decided to stop and get some food from a small restaurant. Surprisingly a most of the meats were still useable, and none of them had returned to their primordial state.

"I guess that only living creatures can turn back into that stuff in the ocean," Shinji said as they looked through what was there. With a smile he turned back to Asuka. "How about you go get a new set of clothes while I cook the food?"

Asuka smiled, adding an enthused "sure." Before she left the restaurant, she turned back to Shinji. "Hey, you know, that outfit just isn't going to do. Go and find something clean to put on, something nice and if you aren't wearing something like that when I get back I'm gonna slug you," she said with a giggle and a wink.

It didn't take long for her to find a store that had a lot of things that fit her and that she liked. After looking through most of what was there, she finally decided upon a beautiful scarlet dress she spotted. She headed back into the dressing room and changed, releasing the locks on the pressurized suit and letting it fall to the floor. She slipped the dress on, looking at how it fit in the mirror. A pleased smile crossed her face and she left the room to find a pair of nice shoes and maybe some accessories to match…

When she finally returned, Shinji had finished cooking their meal and was setting the plates on the table. She giggled quietly when she noticed that he had changed his clothes but that the outfit he wore was still essentially the same. After he set up the table, Shinji looked up, finally seeing Asuka standing there in the new dress. Another giggle escaped her lips as she watched his cheeks redden.

"Asuka…you look beautiful…"

Asuka simply smiled and placed a kiss upon his cheek as he moved over and pulled the chair out for her. When she sat she looked at the food that was placed on the table before her.

"Wow, it looks and smells really good," she said.

Shinji shrugged and sunk back sheepishly into his chair. "It's not much…just stir fry…"

When they started to eat, Shinji couldn't help but look wide eyed as Asuka shoveled her food. After shoveling about a quarter of the plate she noticed him staring at her. Shinji couldn't help but laugh when her face became as red as her dress.

Together the two of them sat in the chandelier lit restaurant and ate the meal Shinji prepared. After they had finished they decided to take a walk and headed in the direction of the park. The park, like the shopping district, also remained intact. Eventually they made their way through the park and into a nearby field of beautiful lunar flowers. As they walked, Shinji plucked one and gently set it in Asuka's hair.

"It suits you," he told her with a smile.

Asuka ran a hand through her hair when he said this, planting another quick kiss on his cheek. After a short while longer they reached the top of a small knoll overlooking the field. A cherry tree grew there and even though the blossoms weren't blooming it still looked as beautiful as the rest of the field. Looking out across the field, they simply leaned against the tree embracing one another, Asuka's head resting against Shinji's warm chest. No words were spoken between them, for there was no need for them at that time. Their love was all that mattered, and the words would never speak as powerfully as their embrace did. Time passed slowly as they stood there, and eventually the moon moved from the top of the sky to just above the horizon.

"I guess we'd better try to find someplace to stay until we can figure out something to do huh?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah," Asuka replied. When Shinji started to release his hold on her, however, she stopped him. "Not yet Shinji, let's stay here just a little while longer."

With a nod Shinji smiled and the two kissed once more, continuing to overlook the fields. After a short time they started to fall asleep again, the comfort of their warmth being such a secure feeling that it couldn't be avoided. The slipping alertness of Shinji's mind was quickly revived when a strange yet familiar sound reached his ears.

"Asuka, do you hear that?" he asked.

"Huh? Hear what?"

"Just listen."

Asuka continued to rest against his chest, listening. After a moment she heard it too, the strum of a guitar, and it wasn't far off. A spark of excitement and nervousness filled both of their hearts as they thought of the possibility. It was a long shot, but the possibility was definitely there now. Someone else may have survived.


	3. Chapter 3

Here we go with the third chapter now. This one isn't as light hearted as the first two, more feelings of sadness creep in. Also I would like to extend my personal thanks to Rahhel for giving me the info I needed to help get Aoba's character more correct than I would have done on my own. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

The soft pluck of the strings was unmistakable in Shinji's ears. He did not know whom, or possibly what, could be playing the instrument but it was definitely the sound of a guitar nearby. Soft ground patting beneath their feet, the two former Eva pilot ran as fast as they could down and the knoll they were on and then back up a second one, following the sound of the sad melody. It was not long before they saw a silhouette in the distance. 

Shinji squinted, trying to make out who was sitting atop the nearby hill. It was hard to tell, but he knew by the width of the person's shoulders it was probably a man, although the noticeably shoulder length hair made it difficult to tell. Shinji crouched down behind a bush, motioning for Asuka to follow.

"Asuka, can you tell who that is?"

"I don't know; it's still too dark to see from here. Wait, why are we hiding? If someone else is alive we should try to see if they're able to help us."

"That's just the thing though, we don't know who we can trust anymore. It may be a looter or a gangster. We can't be sure."

"You know, Shinji, you can still be pretty dense sometimes. If this person is the only other person around here then what good would it do for him to hurt us?"

"Asuka, keep your voice down. We don't want to…"

Shinji was interrupted suddenly when the stranger leaned over the bush, his body rustling the leaves. Asuka and Shinji both leapt back with a shriek, caught completely off guard by the man's approach.

"Shinji? Asuka? You're alive?" he asked.

"Mr. Shigeru?" the two asked in unison.

"Well what do you know," Aoba said with a laugh. "I thought I was the only one left, and yet here you two are alive and well. It's nice to see that I'm not the last person here."

"Mr. Shigeru, what are you doing here? How did you survive?" Shinji asked.

"Wish I could tell you. When the soldiers sent by Seele stormed NERV I was in the control room with Maya. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I got shot and blacked out. All I know is that when I came too NERV was in ruins and Maya was gone, completely."

Shinji noticed that there was a hint of mourning in Aoba's voice when he mentioned that Maya was missing. 'Perhaps Mr. Shigeru was in love with Maya,' he thought. It was a shame then; Mr. Shigeru probably wouldn't ever be able to share his life with the woman he loved. Thinking about that, Shinji felt a little better about his situation with Asuka. 'We're lucky, Asuka. Mr. Shigeru won't be able to share what he feels with Maya the way we share what we feel with one another.'

"Mr. Shigeru," Asuka began.

"Hey now, let's not be so formal. Just call me Aoba. No real need for formalities anymore."

"Oh, ok then. Um, Aoba, why were you just sitting there? You must have seen that a good section of Tokyo 3 is still intact."

Aoba's face became sullen. "I did, and that was the first place I went. I was hoping that maybe I could find more survivors, but, as you saw, there was no one else. No one except for us anyways…"

"You were looking for Maya," Shinji said. "That's why you came here, because you couldn't find her."

Aoba smiled. "You're pretty smart, Shinji. Yeah, I was looking for Maya, but I couldn't find her anywhere. The whole time I prayed that she would be alive, prayed that I could find her and help her through this mess. I guess you can tell how far praying got me."

"You loved her, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I never got to admit it either. I even wrote a song for her, something I was going to use to tell her how I felt. It's a song that falls on deaf ears now, though."

Shinji could see the tears beginning to well in Aoba's eyes. He understood how Aoba felt. For quite some time Shinji had nothing to hold on to in life either, before he became an Eva pilot; before making real friends that cared for him and looked out for him. Before he was able to admit how he felt to Asuka.

"Aoba, that song you were playing," Asuka began.

"You heard it huh? I know what you're wondering. Yes, that was the song I was going to play for Maya." Aoba moved over the shrub Shinji and Asuka were seated behind and sat next to them. A sob and a sniffle escaped him as he sat. "I can only hope she heard it wherever she is."

Shinji glanced at Asuka, his eyes conveying the same thought…the same feeling she had. In the back of their minds they could feel Maya's consciousness. She was sobbing, but it was out of happiness, not pain. Shinji smiled slightly and nodded to Asuka as she placed a hand on Aoba's shoulder.

"I'm sure she heard it Aoba, and I'm sure she loved it too."

Aoba sniffled and smiled at the two of them, nodding. "Thanks you guys. Hey, I'm gonna head back into the city. If you two are alive too then there's still a possibility that more survivors are out there."

Shinji and Asuka nodded as he headed off towards the city. As Aoba walked off, they looked back towards the east as the sun began to rise and watched the still, beautiful dawn unfold.

"That's really sad, about Mr. Shigeru I mean," Asuka said.

Shinji simply nodded, adding a quiet "yeah."

"It's really a shame that he can't really tell miss Maya how he feels," Asuka continued.

Shinji simply nodded again, looking on at the sunrise, many thoughts going through his head. Thoughts about Aoba, about Asuka and himself, and about their friends. Aoba was alive so perhaps their friends were too…

"Hey, Shinji, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Well…the thing is…it's about Ayaname…"

"About…Rei?"

Asuka nodded. Shinji could tell by the look upon her face that whatever she was going to ask was something that had been trying at her for some time.

"Shinji, did you…do you love her?"

Shinji knew that he shouldn't have been, it was an expected question, but he was still taken off guard by what she asked. 'Ayaname…do I love Ayaname…' Deep down Shinji knew that he did, but was it the same?

It took Shinji a long while to answer Asuka, and he could see that she felt uneasy at his silence. He did love Ayaname, and he loved Asuka too, but it wasn't the same with Asuka. It was more…genuine? No, that wasn't the word… 'What is it? What is it that makes me love them both?'

"Ayaname…" he began. "Yes, I do love Ayaname…but it's different with her. I can't explain it exactly, but it's not the same love that we share."

"Oh…I see…" Asuka said, her face conveying a feeling of sadness.

"I'm sorry, I don't really know how to describe it. It's like…I'm not sure…" Shinji became lost in thought once more, and suddenly the realization hit him. "Rei…I don't know why, but she reminded me of my mother. I can't really explain what it was, but somewhere in the back of my mind she always reminded me of my mother. I think that is why I love her, because she brings back the same memories of my mother."

Asuka looked over at Shinji, a look of both relief and sadness in her expression as she embraced him.

"Shinji, please don't ever leave me."

"Asuka…"

"If you left me I don't know what I'd do. So please, just don't ever leave me."

Shinji kissed Asuka softly on the cheek. "I promise you, I'll always be here."

Asuka smiled, and leaned against him once more. They sat watching the sunrise for a short while longer before returning to what remained of Tokyo 3. After all, with one more survivor found there were sure to be others and Aoba was going to need all the help he could get.


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, after alot of thinking I finally thought of a way to continue this little project. I fixed up (hopefully) some of the character errors with Aoba that I made in the last chapter (I think I mixed up his first and last names) so this should be a bit more accurate. This chapter focuses a bit more on the sci-fi aspect of the story and a little less on the love story between Shinji and Asuka. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy.

* * *

Three days had already passed since Shinji and Asuka found Aoba alive near the remains of Tokyo 3. Three days of searching, and still no other survivors had been found. Asuka was beginning to think that their constant searching was pointless; clearly there was no one else around other that area other than the three of them. As she walked through the hallway of the small house in which they decided to stay, she sighed. _If only we could find a car or something…mein Gott, you'd think there'd be at least ONE left!_

Asuka stopped at the back of the hall, sliding the door to her room open. The house was like most of the other houses, a quaint, average Japanese home. Before she was able to shut the door after she stepped in, Shinji entered.

"Oh, hey Shinji."

"I…um…I just wanted to say goodnight…"

Asuka giggled a little. After spending two nights with her alone before finding Aoba, he still felt awkward coming into her room. "Oh, is that all huh?"

Shinji rubbed his left arm nervously. "Um…yeah…that's it I guess…"

It was too funny. When they were alone in the wilderness he could confess his love for her without inhibition, but put them into a house together and he became just as awkward as any other adolescent boy that tried to talk to a girl. With a mischievous grin on her face, Asuka moved towards him and shut the door before he could leave, keeping him pinned between her and the wall.

"Don't lie to me Shinji, I know just what your thinking," she said, leaning up against him as she spoke. His face quickly turned as red as a beet, and Asuka had to force herself not to laugh, even if it was cute in a way.

"Um…um…"

It was almost too much. He'd become so nervous he could hardly form words anymore. Asuka began to wonder just how nervous she could make him. Slowly, she leaned in to kiss him, taking his arms and placing them around her waist. As she planted a soft kiss upon his lips she began to run her hands across his arms. She hadn't even noticed that her desire to make him nervous had passed. What she wanted now was something more…

"Hey, are you two in there?"

Asuka sprang back with a start as Aoba began to open her door, her face bright red. When he peeked inside, he looked between the two of them, each of their faces holding hues of bright scarlet. Aoba instantly began to laugh.

"So you two are all hooked up now huh?"

"Shut up!" Asuka yelled, stamping her foot on the ground as he teased them.

Aoba couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "Yep, that's all the proof I need!"

At this point even Shinji was beginning to laugh a little. Asuka, embarrassed to no ends, could feel her face getting even redder than it already was.

"SHUT UP!" she yelled again, turning around and storming away towards her bed.

Aoba forced himself to calm down, apologizing as he forced away the last of his laughter. "I just wanted to wish you both pleasant dreams. Tomorrow I'm gonna try to look for other survivors some more."

"Ok, goodnight Shigeru." Shinji said as Aoba left the room.

Asuka replied with a simple humph, and began to blush a little more when Aoba started laughing again as he left.

"Well, we'd better get some sleep," Shinji said. Asuka didn't reply to him either, clearly angry that he laughed too. "Well, goodnight Asuka."

Just before Shinji left, Asuka grabbed his arm. "Shinji, wait."

"Hmm?"

"IF YOU EVER LAUGH AT ME LIKE THAT AGAIN I'M GONNA BEAT THE SNOT OUTTA YOU!"

Shinji smiled, nodding and clearly trying to suppress another laugh.

"Well…ok then…I'm glad to see that you understand."

After she let go of his arm he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Sleep well."

"Yeah…you too, Shinji."

Shinji left the room then, Asuka turning around and going back to her bed. She lied down, pulling the sheets over her as she let out a slightly frustrated sigh, thinking back on what just happened. Aoba had completely embarrassed her and what did Shinji do? He laughed! It was absolutely ridiculous! Still, thinking back on it, Asuka couldn't help but giggle a little herself. _Well, I guess it was kinda funny…_

With that thought, Asuka drifted off into sleep.

_"The planet…the planet is changing…"_

Asuka sat up in her bed with a start. Nervously she looked around the room for the source of the strange voice that spoke with her. It was still night, that much she could tell, but everything seemed to be hazed.

"Who…who's there?"

_"The planet is changing…human's have lost their place…your kind does not belong…"_

"Who are you? What are you talking about?"

_"Humans…humans do not belong…humans must be replaced…humans must be destroyed…"_

"What are you talking about? What do you want?"

_"Humans…filthy, disgusting humans…humans will be destroyed…"_

"Where are you? What do you want with me?" Asuka could hear the terror within her own voice; she could feel the cold sweat upon her skin. She looked frantically across the room for the source of the strange voice, but it wasn't anywhere to be seen.

_"Humans will be destroyed…YOU WILL BE DESTROYED…"_

Asuka was panicked. She crawled back to the corner of her bed, clutching her sheets like a vice. Her room began to slowly dissolve away, replaced by endless darkness. Everything around her was beginning to fade, and soon she was floating in the blackness. For some reason, she was no longer in her pajamas but her link suit for Eva unit 002.

"What's going on here? What do you want from me!"

Within the darkness, a small light formed and began drawing closer to her. Asuka didn't know how, but somehow she knew that light was the thing that was after her. She tried to run, but she couldn't move. The light approached and began to take a somewhat humanoid form. When it reached her, the thing towered over her, a humanoid giant of light.

_"I want…your life…"_

Asuka screamed as the creature reached out at her and grabbed her. It pulled her towards its face, a large mouth beginning to form. Asuka tried with all her might to get away, but she still couldn't move. _God no, please don't let me die! _She screamed as the monster dropped her into its mouth, its jaws clamping shut around her, engulfing her in darkness as she…

Asuka shot back in her bed with a scream, her arms held in front of her and eyes clenched shut. When she opened them, she realized that everything was the same as it was before. Asuka breathed out in relief, realizing she was just dreaming. _Thank god, it was just…_ Asuka looked towards her door, startled by the sudden pounding against it.

"Asuka! Asuka, are you ok?"

Shinji didn't wait for her to answer. He came in and immediately headed over to her bedside, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked, a heavy level of concern in his voice.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine…it was just a bad dream was all…"

Shinji, too, let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was afraid something happened to you."

"Hey…what's goin on?"

"It's ok, Shigeru, I just had a nightmare was all." Asuka answered as Aoba peeked in the room.

"Oh…ok then…Asuka, you gonna be able to get back to sleep?"

"Yes, I should be ok."

"All right then…goodnight you two…"

Asuka and Shinji wished Aoba goodnight again as he left. Shinji then turned back to face Asuka once again. "Asuka, are you sure you'll be ok?"

"Yeah, I'll be ok. It was just a really scary nightmare."

"Do you need to talk to me about it?"

Asuka shook her head and yawned. "Not right now…I'll tell you about it tomorrow ok?"

Shinji nodded, giving her a kiss and wishing her goodnight as he left the room. "Hey, Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could sleep in here with me tonight?"

Shinji smiled, heading back over to her bed and kissing her on the forehead. "Sure," he said, turning to leave so he could get his bedroll.

Once again, just before he exited the room, Asuka called out to him.

"Hmm?"

"I love you," she said.

He nodded. "I love you too."

With a smile on her face, Asuka settled back into her bed and started drifting off into sleep once more. Before she fell asleep, the last thing she noticed was Shinji re-entering the room and kissing her on the forehead before going to sleep himself. As she slipped into sleep once more, she could barely feel something at the back of her mind; a consciousness that wasn't there before…


	5. Chapter 5

Alright! Document manager is up and running again! Anyways, here we go with chapter 5. Took me a while to decide what to do here, and to figure out how to word it, so I really hope everyone enjoys.

* * *

Shinji lay awake in Asuka's room, staring at the midnight blue shadows that were painted across the ceiling and walls. He could hear Asuka's soft breaths as she slept, surprisingly uninhibited by the nightmare she'd just had. The nightmare…Shinji felt great concern over it. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something wasn't right and deep down he knew it had something to do with that nightmare. 

_Just a bad dream? Could it have been just that? Maybe I'm imagining this feeling._

Shinji nodded, it had to be his imagination. There were no other people or creatures around to threaten them. Anything that might have been a danger was essentially gone. _But if it was just a dream, then why can't I get rid of this feeling…_

Shinji looked over to Asuka as she slept. Something was definitely wrong; he could feel it. The dream terrified her so much that she woke screaming. Asuka wasn't the type to let something like that happen unless there was something distinctly wrong about it, and whatever that something was, that was exactly what he was feeling.

"Asuka…what could have scared you so much?"

Shinji remembered that she said she'd tell him about the dream in the morning, but he figured otherwise. A dream like that would be something she'd either be to embarrassed to tell to him or it would be something she'd be afraid to tell him. Either way, he knew he'd have to find a way for her to tell him what it was. This feeling he had about the dream was too uncomfortable to ignore, to unsettling. It was something…

_"There's a darkness around her heart…"_

"Where am I?"

_"There's a darkness around her heart…"_

"A darkness?"

_"Yes, around Asuka's heart…"_

"Who are you?"

_"A friend…"_

"A friend? But, there's no one left. Am I dreaming?"

_"Some might call it a dream, Shinji…"_

"How do you know my name?"

_"I'm your friend…"_

"But that's impossible. There's no one left except for Shigeru, Asuka, and myself."

"_Do you want to see?"_

"You sound familiar…"

"_I'm glad to hear that…"_

"Your voice, and the way you speak…"

_"That's right, Shinji…"_

Shinji turned to finally face the familiar voice that came from behind him. He remembered the voice well, and knew he would be hard pressed to believe what he was about to see in the blackness that surrounded him.

"Kaoru…"

"_Hello, Shinji. I've missed you…" _Kaoru said with a warm smile.

"How are you here? You're dead."

_"Death is simply a transition, a movement from one form of existence to the next. When one truly thinks, death is a fallacy in itself, do you agree?"_

"What did you mean…"

_"Hmm?"_

"The darkness around Asuka's heart…what did you mean?"

_"Of course, I had nearly forgotten. It seems that I am more pleased to speak with you again than I realized."_

"Kaoru…what did you mean?"

_"I meant precisely what I said, a darkness is enveloping Asuka's heart."_

"But what does that mean?"

Kaoru's smile faded and he looked deep into Shinji's eyes. _"How strange…I've never felt anything like this before…I believe I may be jealous of Asuka."_

"Kaoru…"

_"There is a darkness surrounding her heart, a darkness that lives within Asuka's very soul, a darkness that is not her own."_

"A darkness not her own?"

_"She will not tell you of her dream, and you must not ask her."_

"What does the dream have to do with this? What happened in her dream?"

_"I'm sorry, Shinji, I cannot tell you that."_

"Why?"

_"It is something you must discover for yourself, and something that Asuka must overcome on her own. If the two of you can accomplish this, then the human race just may be able to survive."_

"The human race?"

_"Yes, the human race."_

"Kaoru…why are you helping me? Why are you trying to help the human race?"

_"I do not care for the humans, only for you."_

"Only for me…that is why you say you're jealous…"

_"My words to you were not a lie, Shinji."_

"The bath hall back at NERV…'I'm trying to say…'"

_"'…that I love you.'"_

"Kaoru…"

_"Shinji, only you can choose whether or not to heed the words I have spoken. There is a danger surrounding not only what remains of your race, but the world itself."_

Shinji looked into Kaoru's eyes one last time as he smiled and turned away. It was very confusing for him…Kaoru was a friend in Shinji's eyes, but at the same time he was also an Angel. Can I trust him?

_"Shinji,"_ Kaoru said.

"Oh, yes?"

_"I look forward to the next time we speak,"_ he replied with a smile.

When Shinji's eyes fluttered open it was dawn, and the sun had just barely began to peak over the hills. Shinji looked off into the sunrise, and glanced at Asuka as she continued to sleep. A darkness around her heart… Shinji felt insecurity about Kaoru's words, but his gut told him to trust what the Angel told him. Asuka's dream…somehow Kaoru knew about it, and if Shinji wanted to discover the truth he knew he would have to do as Kaoru said.


	6. Chapter 6

Well after finally getting the idea train rolling again (a big thanks to Rahhel once more for the help) I've been able to finish chapter 6. An important note for the story: from here on out any dialogue outside of a dream sequence that is quoted and italicised is someone speaking in English as opposed to Japanese. Anyways, hope you enjoy.

* * *

The rough condition of the roads caused the old Honda that Aoba had found earlier that day to jostle the three survivors uncomfortably. Asuka was relieved to have finally found an auto, but the ride was just so damn uncomfortable. _There'd better be some damn grateful survivors wherever it is that we're going._ Asuka yelled out in pain as Aoba drove over a rather large rock, causing her head to thud against the passenger window. 

"Where the hell did you learn to drive Shigeru!" she yelled.

"Sorry, but it's not like these roads are very easy right now," Aoba answered. "Anyways, we should be ok once we get out of the Tokyo 3 area. It looks like the roads are clearer up ahead."

"Well they'd better be," Asuka grumbled.

Asuka looked back at Shinji as he giggled at her words, balling up her fist and threatening to slug him if he didn't shut his trap. Shinji laughed a little more and nodded, throwing in a quick apology at the end.

Asuka crossed her arms and looked out towards the glistening amber that was the ocean. As relieved as she was to have found the car, finally get out of the Tokyo 3 ruins, and have both Shinji and Aoba there, she just could not shake the thoughts of that nightmare out of her head. _This is stupid…it was just a dream, it didn't mean anything, _she told herself. _Come on Asuka, be rational. A giant of white light is going to come destroy what remains of humanity when all signs of life other than the three of us are gone, sure._

She tried time and time again to quell the thoughts in her head, but no matter how hard she tried to reason with herself, the images remained vivid in her mind and the feeling that something was lurking refused to leave her. Eventually she became so entwined inside her own thoughts that she didn't even notice that they had completely left sight of the remnants of Tokyo 3.

"Hey, Asuka," Shinji began, "Are you alright?"

"Huh?"

"It's just that you look a little pale, and you're beginning to sweat."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm fine," she said. She knew that Shinji wouldn't believe her though, her voice sounded shaky even to herself.

"Asuka…"

"Don't worry about it Shinji. Jeez, you're such a worry wart."

Shinji merely nodded in response as Asuka turned to face the ocean again. She was certain that he would know exactly what was wrong, exactly what she was thinking about. He could probably feel something similar to what she felt in the back of her mind, that same lingering sensation that something was there, lying in wait. She wanted to tell him what was wrong, but she wanted to be alone with him when she did. She just had a feeling that if Aoba found out it might lead to trouble, especially since he had no idea that they were able to feel the consciousness of beings within their own minds. _Shinji, I wish I could tell you what was wrong…I wish I could just get rid of this feeling, get rid of this lingering sensation… _Once again, Asuka had lost herself in thought, so much so that she didn't notice when Shinji began trying to retrieve her attention.

"Asuka!" he said while tapping her shoulder.

"What? What is it?"

"Look there, on the beach."

Asuka looked in the direction that Shinji was pointing and couldn't believe her eyes. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked, stepping out of the car Aoba brought it to a stop at the side of the road.

"There's no mistake about it," Aoba began, "It's a cruise liner, probably beached during the Third Impact. And look there," he continued, pointing towards the ships bow, where a collection of neatly organized supplies were laid out. "It looks like we may have found more survivors."

"Well then what're we standing around for?" Asuka asked as she began heading down the hillside to the ship that ran ashore. Shinji and Aoba quickly followed, and the three of them reached the ship within a matter of a couple minutes.

"Looks like it may have been abandoned," Aoba said as he examined the supply crates. "See? All of these crates have already been emptied."

"But that means that there were people here at one point, so they might come back right?" Shinji asked.

"Makes sense to me," Aoba answered. "Lets take a look around and see if we can find anything else."

Shinji and Asuka nodded and the three of them split up, looking around the perimeter of the beached vessel. Even though it was a cruise liner, it wasn't very big so it didn't take long to completely circle the area. Asuka hadn't really found anything of interest in her search, but Shinji seemed to be deeply interested in something along the side of the ship.

"What's up Shinji?"

"Look here," he said, pointing out a sign along the side of the ship. "The ship is from Hong Kong."

"OK, so what does that mean?"

"It means that there's a possibility that more people survived outside of Japan."

"Hey guys," Aoba called out, "I found the way into the ship's hull!"

Shinji and Asuka ran over to where Aoba was standing and the three of them entered the supply room of the ship, which was still pretty full even though a lot of them were removed. There were supplies of all sorts too, from food to medical supplies to different changes of clothing. Almost everything they'd need was there for the taking.

"_Who in the hell are you three?_" a strange voice called out from behind them. The three of them quickly spun around to see a middle aged man standing there. Whoever he was, it was apparent that he wasn't Japanese or from the continent. His sandy blonde hair, somewhat stocky build, and deep, gruff voice suggested otherwise, along with the fact that he didn't speak Japanese.

"_Well?_" he demanded.

"_It's alright Richard,_" another voice came, this one clearly that of a Japanese man. "I'm terribly sorry about him, he's just being safe is all."

"Excuse me, but are you two the only other survivors here?" Shinji asked.

"No, we are not. I'm sorry, I should introduce myself. I am doctor Nobuo Serizawa. Richard and I were aboard this ship when that strange incident that turned the ocean gold took place. He and I, along with a Chinese woman, were the only survivors aboard the ship."

"So it's just the two of you and the woman then?" Aoba asked.

"No, we're actually with a group of about ten survivors, including the two of us. Most of the other survivors were just wandering around the wilderness trying to find shelter, so we decided to aid them. Tell me, are you three by any chance from Tokyo 3?"

"We are. We'd been searching the city for others that survived the incident, but it seems like we're the only ones."

"I see. I had a feeling you were from the city since you seemed to be well kempt for this situation. In any case, you're all welcome to come with us back to our camp, we could always use some more help."

"_Doctor, mind filling me in here? I don't speak Japanese in case you forgot,_" Richard said.

"_It's alright, Richard, they're Tokyo 3 survivors. I've offered for them to come back to camp with us to help out. The way things are now, I figure we need as much help as we can get if we're going to try and make it to America._"

Richard nodded, glancing quickly at the three new additions to their camp. "_I suppose you've got a point there, Serizawa. I'll get these supplies back to the camp and we'll see what we can do about working on that boat._"

Serizawa nodded, turning back to face the three of them. "I'm very sorry about that, Richard doesn't speak any Japanese."

"I can tell. Is he American?" Aoba asked.

"He is. He thinks that if we can make it back to America and find more survivors we might be able to rebuild and start setting things right again. Personally, I've got my doubts about the idea but it's the best we could come up with."

"What was that he said about a boat?" Asuka asked.

"Well I see you're a very attentive young lady, and with a mastery of the English language to boot," Serizawa replied.

"It's not that surprising. I'm half German and spent most of my life in Germany and English is something we're all required to learn there."

"I see. Well, yes, we are trying to use the parts from the cruiser to make a boat sturdy enough to sail from here back to America, but the problem is that even though Richard is a skilled mechanic and is able to oversee the construction of the boat, we haven't been able to find some of the necessary parts to construct the boat."

"What is it that you need?" Shinji asked.

"A suitable power source is the most difficult thing to find so far. The liner's generator is too large to use and we haven't been able to find a way to create a successful generator yet."

"Aoba, do you know anything about that sort of thing?" Shinji asked.

Aoba shrugged. "I don't have a clue for this one."

"That's quite alright," Serizawa said. "It's nothing to worry about right now. For the time being let's get you three situated within the camp. Follow me."

As Serizawa led them out of the ship towards the campsite, Asuka paused, turning to look back at the amber ocean that glistened under the midday sun. Slowly, she turned, beginning to walk in the direction of the golden seas as if in a trance. After about three steps, she began to feel woozy, the tugging sensation at the back of her mind becoming stronger. Her vision began to blur, and before she knew it she had fallen to the sandy ground. The blurred image of Shinji kneeling over her was the last thing she saw before finally blacking out.


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, here we go with chapter 7. This one's a bit short and more or less a setup chapter, revealing a bit of Serizawa's history and some more history behind Shinji's father and his Eva project. Remember, italicized dialogue is a character speaking in English.

* * *

Shinji sat on the beach, his arms wrapped around his knees as he looked out at the rising moon. It was already well into nightfall, and several hours had passed since he, Aoba, and Professor Serizawa carried her back from the beach to the encampment. Shinji rested his head on his knees and sighed, deeply hoping Asuka was going to be alright. He sat for a while longer until he heard the tent behind him open. He turned and saw Richard come out of the tent and walk towards him, taking a seat on the beach next to him. The two sat in silence for a few minutes. 

"_So, she your girlfriend?_" Richard asked.

Shinji nodded, continuing to watch the waves of the amber seas break against the beach. The two continued to sit in silence for a while until Richard finally got up. "_Hey, I wouldn't worry too much about her. Serizawa's a genius, he'll figure out what's wrong._" With a pat on Shinji's shoulder he headed back to the tent. Shinji didn't respond at all to what Richard had told him though, he knew it was something beyond science that was afflicting her. _Asuka…_

Shinji let out another sigh as he watched the waves break once more. His desire to help Asuka was profound, but he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do to help her. _It's all exactly like you said, Kaoru. She's being consumed by the darkness and there's nothing I can do to stop it._

Shinji began to reflect on his dream…his encounter with the spirit of the Angel that wanted to aid him. Kaoru's intentions were to help Shinji, to guide him to an answer that would save Asuka and the rest of humanity from a plight that was supposedly greater than anything they had faced before. But the "path" that was laid out before him didn't make any sense. Since he had no means of helping Asuka, how could he possibly stop the darkness that was consuming her from destroying humanity?

"Kaoru…what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to help defeat this darkness if I can do nothing to stop it?"

"Speaking with phantoms, are we Mister Ikari?"

Startled by Serizawa's sudden arrival, Shinji flailed about and fell backwards into the sand. With a light chuckle, Serizawa reached down and helped Shinji to his feet.

"Professor, is Asuka going to be alright?"

"It seems so," Serizawa began. "But something concerns me about her condition."

"What is it, Professor?"

"Well, physically, she is perfectly healthy. There isn't a single sign of any ailment that would cause her to abruptly fall unconscious like that, and that's what worries me. She is perfectly fine, yet nothing we do can wake her. It's like nothing I've ever seen."

Shinji looked back at the tent where Serizawa had been examining Asuka. Even now, he could feel the creeping darkness around her, the darkness that kept her from awakening.

"Shinji, I understand how you must feel right now, but there is something of importance that I must talk with you about. Would you come with me please?"

Shinji nodded, following the professor down the shoreline a ways until the camp was only a small speck in the distance.

"Professor, why are we all the way out here?"

"I'd rather not have anyone listening in to what I need to ask you. Shinji, you are the son of Professor Gendo Ikari, am I correct?"

"Yes, he was my father."

Serizawa nodded. "I thought as much. Shinji, did your father ever tell you what he was doing in Tokyo 3?"

"He was working on the Eva project to fight the Angels. That was the only reason I was in Tokyo 3 actually, he wanted me to pilot the Eva. Professor, why are you asking me this?"

"So, you were one of the pilots, one of the selected Children. Tell me, is that girl in there another one of the Children?"

"Professor…"

"Tell me Shinji, did she pilot the Eva as well?"

Shinji nodded, taken by surprise at Serizawa's rough attitude. "Professor, did you know my father?"

"Gendo? No, I never knew him, at least not personally. His assistant, Fuyutsuki, however, was an old colleague of mine back in college. I had found out about the Eva project through him, when he asked me to come to NERV and assist Gendo in developing the weapon."

"You knew about the Eva project when it was being developed?"

"I did, and I tried as hard as I could to stop it. I knew what could happen if humans tried to harness the powers of the Angels, if they tried to play god with something they clearly understood nothing about. But no one would listen, they all just flocked eagerly to Gendo's abomination, and you, along with that girl, helped to cause all of this."

"That's not true professor." Shinji and Serizawa both looked with some surprise at Aoba when he spoke. "They had nothing to do with the Third Impact. In fact, these two were among the only ones that tried to stop it from happening. If it hadn't been for Asuka and Shinji, none of us would be here."

"Shigeru…"

"You seem to know quite a lot, Shigeru," Serizawa responded.

"Serizawa, you understand above all of us how much of a risk Eva was. That's why you were against it. But you can't deny that if it wasn't for Asuka and Shinji, none of us would be alive right now."

"Those abominations were the cause of the Third Impact! They are the reason that humanity is now reduced to a mere handful! I cannot, I will not condone the actions of Gendo or his abominable creations!"

Before Aoba could try to convince him otherwise, Serizawa left for the camp once more. Shinji watched the professor walk away, thinking about what he said. Maybe he was right, maybe it really was their fault.

"Shinji, don't listen to what he says," Aoba told him.

"Shigeru…what if he's right?"

"He isn't. I saw what you two were doing out there when the Third Impact began. You were fighting harder than I've ever seen you fight, you were determined to save anything and everything you could, and you did. The small handful of humans left is because of you and Asuka. The two of you gave us a fighting chance."

"You really think so, Shigeru?"

Aoba smiled and nodded. "You better believe it. If it weren't for the two of you fighting the mass produced Eva's and the last Angel then we never would have survived the impact. Now let's go back to camp and see what we can do for Asuka."

Shinji nodded and followed Shigeru back to the camp. He knew that there wasn't anything he could do to stop the darkness right now, but he would do whatever he could to keep Asuka safe. He was determined to do at least that, and was willing to fight as hard as he needed to see that it happened.


End file.
